11-19, 15:40–15:45 (Pacific/Auckland), WG403
Plastic pollution threatens Pacific ecosystems and livelihoods. The CleanSeas project uses Earth and ocean observation, machine learning, and on-ground validation to track marine debris across land, rivers, and sea. This presentation highlights DEP tools, showcasing how open data informs policy and enables targeted, cross-domain responses to pollution hotspots.
Plastic pollution and marine debris threaten marine ecosystems, fisheries, and livelihoods across the Pacific. But how do we track pollution pathways when they cross rivers, land, and sea? Enter the CleanSeas project; a collaborative effort leveraging Earth and ocean observation data to identify, track, and predict the movement of marine debris. This presentation dives into the methodology behind CleanSeas, including using SVM, Random Forest machine learning, the floating debris index and on-the-ground validation. We’ll demonstrate how open data and tools from Digital Earth Pacific are being applied to identify pollution hotspots and inform policy responses. The session emphasizes the power of EO in driving tangible outcomes in marine pollution mitigation and the growing importance of cross-domain integration in environmental monitoring.
Kamsin is an environmental professional with expertise in GIS, climate change, and sustainable development. She has a strong academic background, including a Master’s in Environmental Science, and experience in resilience planning, capacity building, and open-source initiatives. Kamsin currently works as the Earth Observation Technical Officer at the Pacific Community (SPC).